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- Makes 10 stuffed chiles
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Chile relleno is an iconic Mexican dish, and this plant-based twist pays homage to the traditional flavors without using eggs or cheese. In our version, the mild poblano chiles are charred on the stove to create the classic smoky flavor, stuffed with a savory cashew-potato “cheese” and hearty black beans, then topped with a taco-seasoned tomato sauce. The peppers get deliciously browned in the oven as they bake, and the flavors meld together even more if you let everything cool a little bit before diving in. Enjoy on its own or serve with a side of Green Chile Rice to turn it into a feast.
Tip: The peppers, filling, and sauce for this recipe can be prepped a day ahead so that you can reduce day-of efforts to assembly and baking.
For more Mexican recipes, check out these tasty ideas:
- Mexican Breakfast Hash with Lime Crema
- Grilled Nopales Tacos
- Mexican 10-Layer Dip
- Or check out our full list vegan Mexican recipes
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 2 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, cut into large pieces (4 cups)
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- ½ cup potato starch
- 1½ teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 10 fresh green pasilla or poblano chiles
- 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained (1½ cups) (optional)
- 2 15-oz. cans tomato sauce (3 cups)
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- ½ teaspoon taco seasoning
Instructions
- Place cashews in a bowl. Cover with 3 cups hot water. Let soak 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place potato pieces in a steamer basket in a large saucepan. Add water to saucepan to just below basket. Bring to boiling. Steam, covered, 15 minutes or until tender.
- Transfer cashews and their soaking water to a blender; cover and blend until smooth and creamy. Add potatoes, nutritional yeast, potato starch, lemon juice, sea salt, onion powder, mustard powder, black pepper, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder; cover and blend until smooth and thick. Transfer mixture to a large nonstick skillet. Cook over medium until it thickens into a sticky lump, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Remove from heat; let cool 15 minutes. The cheese will thicken as it cools.
- Using tongs, roast the chiles one at a time over a grill or gas stove burner, turning them until charred on all sides. Transfer charred chiles to a large bowl and cover with a lid or kitchen towel. When chiles are cool enough to handle, peel off the charred skin and make a slit in the side of each chile just large enough to scoop out the seeds and membranes.
- For sauce, in a medium saucepan combine tomato sauce, chopped onion, taco seasoning, the remaining ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ cup water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 5 to 7 minutes or until slightly thickened and flavors have melded.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. To assemble the chiles rellenos, spoon 2 tablespoons black beans (if using) into the cavity of each chile, then add ⅓ cup cashew-potato cheese. Squeeze the chile to close the slit and compact the filling. Arrange stuffed chiles in a 13×9-inch baking dish. Pour sauce over top.
- Bake, uncovered, 30 to 40 minutes or until sauce sizzles and chiles start to brown on top. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Comments (3)
(5 from 5 votes)What a lovely recipe! It's like a veggie-forward enchilada. The cheese sauce was particularly good--I used half as much cornstarch for the potato starch and it turned out thick and dreamy. I roasted the poblanos under the broiler for about 20 total minutes, turning them regularly. Thanks so much!
I tried roasting peppers in air fryer- fail! But I pureed them anyway, used roasted corn from the grill, added cilantro and roasted corn. Perfection! Soup was tremendously lacking flavor without a little oomph.
Super. Though I wish there was a pdf of all these recipes